Sci-Fi Storm

Just a reminder – this Friday (4/19), Jeremiah will air 15 minutes early (10:30PM EDT) and there will be no Stargate SG-1 episode. Both will resume normal schedule next week.

A lot of speculation and blame has gone around regarding the apparent decision of the SCI FI Channel not to pick up Legend of the Rangers as a series. Well here are the facts we know, as well as some opinions, on what happened. Hint: don’t blame it all on SCI FI Channel.

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UPN has officially cancelled the teen-alien show Roswell. It avoided the fate twice, first from a letter-writing campaign, and then again by jumping from WB to UPN, but alas htye mediocre ratings were not enough.

Everybody has been wondering about the status of Legend of the Rangers, with SCI FI Channel making announcements about mini-series and movies and such. Well, this just came from JMS: “The SciFi Channel has indicated that it’s moving away from space shows, with
all the hardware/alien stuff that goes with it. (This as per its recent
announcement about upcoming shows.)

So it looks like Rangers isn’t going to go ahead. They haven’t said it
directly, but networks never do.”

Anonymous Coward writes “From Scifi.com:

Farscape returns to SCI FI April 5 with the final four episodes of Season Three. These include (in airing order) 319: “I Yehsch, You Yehsch,” 320: “Into the Lion’s Den, Pt. 1,” 321: “Into the Lion’s Den, Pt. 2,” and 322: “Dog with Two Bones.”
Season Four begins June 7th.

Which is to say, about time!” Yeah, I’d say. It’s like their following the PTEN lead with the way Babylon 5 seasons were managed. I’m still trying to figure out how to get my TiVo through the Friday madness of shows to tape…

Today’s Test Pattern has scoops on a number of miniseries that have been green-lighted by the SCI FI Channel. Of note is “re-imagining” of Battlestar Galactica with Ronald D. Moore (MI:2) writing and Breck Eisner (Steven Spielberg’s Taken) directing. Not sure how this affects the possibly-defunct Singer/DeSanto project. Also in the works for mini-series: Myst, based on the computer game; The Forever War, based on the Hugo and Nebula-winning novel by Joe Haldeman; The Chronicles of Amber, based on Roger Zelazny’s 10-volume series; and The Seventh Day, a 7-hour series produced by Gary Sherman (First Wave).

We’ve already got The Outer Limits; they are talking about two Time Tunnel series, and even Lost in Space – now Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, which has come back as a series twice and even a movie, may come back again as a series – with Jonathan Frakes at the helm. The current Roswell EP and Clockstoppers director is joining The Outer Limits EP Pam Densham in developing the pilot, with Pam writing it.

Showtime is inviting people to a chat session with Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who plays Kurdy on Jeremiah, this Friday (3/15) after the show (chat will start at 11:30pm). And on Friday, March 22nd, it will be J. Michael Straczynski himself in the chat room. Head on over to SHO.com.Update 3/15: Alas, the chat tonight is cancelled.

TNN is yet again planning a Star Trek: The Next Generation mini-marathon on April 14th from 2-7pm. Viewers will be able to vote for 5 best episodes on the TNN Online Website, starting April 1st through the 6th. In addition, there will be a sweepstakes starting at the same time to win a trip for two to Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Picard’s uniform from Star Trek: Nemesis, and a copy of the new Star Trek: Bridge Commander game.

The MSN board The Landsraad has a notice (picked up on by AICN) that James Watson, who played Duncan Idaho in the Dune miniseries, is being recast…but I have my doubts as to the authenticity. In a letter claiming to be from Mr. Watson himself, it states that “The new head of the Scifi Channel has decided that he wants an American actor to continue in the role.” As far as I know, Bonnie Hammer is still in charge, and still female. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, or she didn’t order it. At least James got more screen time Richard Jordan’s “cameo” appearance in the David Lynch/”Alan Smithee” 1984 production.